LIVE: SEVENDUST – Charlotte, NC, USA – May 19, 2026

Venue: The Fillmore

City: Charlotte, NC

Dates: May 19, 2026

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

Bands roll through town day after day, but on a sunny Tuesday evening in Charlotte, I found myself at The Fillmore waiting for a band I dig to take the stage to play hits, fan favorites, and showcase songs from a new release.  Before we would all be treated to a set full of Sevendust, we would work our way through some opening bands before what I anticipated would be another killer show.  First up was American Adrenaline and while unknown to me, they came out rocking and had a take no prisoner’s attitude.  They wove songs together to keep the energy up and the crowd entertained as the venue filled up with each passing song.  American Adrenalin hit fast and hard making the most of their time on stage winning over fans with each of the six tracks they played, with their eponymous song “American Adrenalin” winning me over.  Atreyu is also on the tour and used their main support slot to play songs from their latest release, The End Is Not The End, with four of the sets ten songs coming from the recent disc.  Having seen the band a couple times over the years at various festivals, this was the first time I witnessed their show up close or through a camera lens.  The band sounds as good live as they do on any recorded material, with two of my favorite Atreyu songs from their early catalog making an appearance in the set – “Right Side Of The Bed” and “Ex’s And Oh’s.”  Their set flew by with some interaction between songs, but they kept the show moving with a great pace that matched the energy of the show.

The time arrived for Sevendust to take the stage and give the packed venue exactly what they came for… hits and fan favorites that rock you to your core.  With material coming from six releases in their catalog, the opening of the set featured a kickass one-two punch of “Home” and “Denial” from their Home release.  The band came out and nailed it with those tracks before ripping into a brand-new track, “Is This the Real You” from One.  These two albums were the heaviest represented releases with three songs each being tossed into the setlist.  Lajon held down the front of the stage and controlled the ebb and flow of the show from behind the microphone while singing his ass off and making sure every song is what was expected.  Other songs in the set like “Crucified” and “Unbreakable” allowed the guitar tandem of John Connolly and Clint Lowery to trade licks and solos, giving the songs some added punch in a live situation.  The balance of the set bounced around covering different releases from their career with “Pieces” and “Praise” working their way in as the set progressed song by song toward the end of the evening.  With each ticking moment, drummer Morgan Rose perfectly anchored each song and moment of the evening.  The interaction between the band and the crowd enhanced the evening and helped us all connect at different times with the music and overall vibe of the show.  As the evening crept toward the end of the show, my mind wandered as it does and I wondered how many steps bassist Vinnie Hornsby had tonight.  He prowls, leaps, and walks around with more than one mic and position available to him as he helped support the sound and energy.  The band’s first single and my first exposure to the band back in 1997, “Black” made an appearance and helped close out the show.  The band was as strong and energetic at this point as they were when they first hit the stage as they closed the main portion of the show and then launched into a two-song encore of “Rumble Fish” and “Face to Face.”  The band is on a break with the tour supporting ONE starting back up in August.  Don’t miss them on their late summer run.

Setlist: Home – Denial – Is This the Real You – Crucified – Unbreakable – Terminator – Pieces – Praise – Enemy – Threshold – Black – Rumble Fish – Face to Face

[Show as slideshow]

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Tags: featured

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries